Padikkal’s record 101 floors clueless Rajasthan Royals

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Rajasthan Royals were humiliated, battered, and brushed aside by RCB to register an overwhelming 10 wicket victory in Mumbai. Seldom do we see Virat Kohli being outscored by his partner but on this rare occasion 20 years old, Devdutt Padikkal realized the rear feat. In an unbroken partnership of 181, Padikkal scored 101(52)* while Kohli supported him with 72(47)*. Batting first on a belter of a wicket, RR batsmen’s inexperience mixed with complacency wreaked havoc to their chances of posting a good total.

Within 8 overs the Royals were reduced to 43/4 as Md, Siraj (3/27) and Kyle Jamieson (1/27) ran through RR’s top order. Shivam Dube 46(32), Riyan Parag 25(16), and Rahul Tewatia 40(23) consolidated the innings to reach a respectable total of 177, albeit far below par on this wicket. The tail was cleaned-up by Harshal Patel to return with the figures of 3 for 47, earning him the purple cap for his 12 wickets in just 4 matches.

The Rs 20 lakhs’ investment in Devdutt Padikkal yielded multifold ROI for RCB, whereas Rs 16.25 Crore Chirs Morris is proving to be the biggest NPA for RR. The might of Rs 73.65 crore RCB proved overwhelming for Rs 39.6 Crore RR, as they suffered their 11th defeat against the team from the south.

Here is an insight on how the biggest buys of the teams performed during the match:

PERFORMERS Virat Kohli (Rs 17 crore): The stage was set for “King Kohli” to blaze his way back to form and he obliged with his first fifty of IPL2021. He controlled the pace of the innings, guiding Padikkal to his century and ensured victory for the team. En route to 72(47)*, Kohli became the 1st batsman to reach 6000 runs in IPL. His selection of the playing line-up and aggressive on-field tactics proved to be the differentiator between the teams.

Devdutt Padikkal (Rs 20 Lakhs): The highest scorer for RCB in IPL 2020, arrived in this year’s tournament with an innings of a lifetime. Padikkal took apart the RR bowling unit with some classy yet aggressive stroke play. The RCB batsman scored an unbeaten 101 off just 52 balls, his maiden IPL century. It is also the fastest century by an uncapped player in IPL. The was studded with 11 fours and 6 sixes. He earned the well-deserved man of the match award for his century.

Md Siraj (Rs 2.6 crore): The Hyderabad bowler unleashed a spell of fast bowling that sent the RR batsmen for cover. He clean bowled Jos Buttler 8(7) in the third over and trapped David Miller in front of the stumps with a pacey yorker for a duck. The dangerous Rahul Tewatia 40(23) became his third victim, as he tried to pull Siraj off the good length only to be caught at mid-wicket. Siraj returned with the figures of 3/27.

LAGGARDS Sanju Samson (Rs 8 crore): Yet another innings of promise, cut short by complacency. Samson started the innings well with some remarkable stroke-play but soon got carried away. He reached 21(18) with 2 fours and 1 six but held out to mid-wicket, leaving the rest of the batsmen to struggle at 43/4. On the field, his fielding placements were unimaginative and his uninspired bowling changes allowed RCB openers to score freely resulting in RR’s second defeat in a row.

Chris Morris (Rs 16.25 crore): RR’s faith in their biggest buy of the season must be dwindling after yet another disappointing outing. Morris was RR’s best bet going into the last over to propel the score beyond 180. But he didn’t fail to disappoint once again. Morris was dismissed off the first ball of the last over, after scoring 10 runs off 7 balls. With the ball, he gave away 38 runs off his 3 overs. Certainly not an ROI, the Royals were hoping for.

After winning 4 matches in a row, RCB has established itself at the top of the table. They are set to face CSK in a rollicking encounter on 25th April, Sunday. RR will face KKR in their next match on 24th April, Saturday.